Kia EV9 electric SUV confirmed for Georgia production in 2024

The 2024 Kia EV9 electric SUV will be built at the automaker’s West Point, Georgia, factory starting in the 2024 calendar year, Kia announced Wednesday at the 2023 New York Auto Show.

The ramp-up will happen after the EV9 goes on sale in the U.S. in the fourth quarter of this year, with initial units likely sourced from South Korea. Full U.S. launch timing and pricing will be revealed at a later date.

First shown in concept form at the 2021 Los Angeles Auto Show, the three-row EV9 is the largest model to date built on the E-GMP platform shared by Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. It’s the second Kia model to use the E-GMP platform, after the EV6, and it will be the first Kia electric car assembled in the U.S.

Kia revealed the design of the EV9, which stuck pretty close to the concept version last month, other details on specs, range, and charging later in the month. Highlights include speedy 800-volt charging with future V2G (vehicle-to-grid) capability, a Level 3 Highway Driving Pilot system, as well as second-row swivel seats. Those probably aren’t coming to the U.S., however.

U.S. assembly will make the EV9 eligible for at least half of the potential $7,500 EV tax credit under new rules enacted as part of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). While that checks one box, Kia will also need to meet battery-assembly and raw-materials sourcing requirements to get the full amount.

Reports have also suggested that Kia might get some of the production from Hyundai’s so-called Metaplant in Savannah, Georgia. But with this, that possibility may be a little less likely. Kia’s West Point factory is already well established, having assembled more than 3.8 million vehicles since 2009, according to the automaker.